Ray Meeks had already been on death row for 8 years when I met him in 1980. He was 27. He stayed on Death Row until 2017 when his sentenced was commuted to life in prison. This June he’ll turn 70. He has had quadruple heart bypass surgery. He has degenerative disc disease and uses a walker. And he never stops smiling.
The only worry he had when he left Death Row was that people at UCG might forget about him, since his case was no longer quite so notable. So, let him know that we remember him on his birthday, June 28. We’ll be accepting money for him at UCG throughout June. Make a contribution to UCG and designate it for Ray Meeks. You may leave a note for him at the office or send him a card at PO Box 23608, Tampa FL 33623.
Ray is at Madison Correctional Institution, an incentive-based correctional center that offers a lot of freedom and activities for Ray. He has been taking art classes for over a year. This week he moves from colored pencil drawing to acrylic. He’s quite excited.
Ray does need money to buy acrylic paints, paper, and art supplies for his class. He also uses the money for summer t-shirts, pajamas, shoes, and food and drinks from the canteen. He treasures the extras he is able to purchase from the gifts from UCG.
When I got to the prison to visit him on May 23, the new chaplain wasn’t sure how to find him. (It’s hard to imagine a prison losing someone!) But the inmates I was talking to in the chapel all knew Ray, the guy with the walker. They looked outside and saw him coming. Everyone welcomed Ray when he walked into the chapel.
Ray and I always have a great talk. People there admire and respect him for the many years he kept his faith and health in a single cell on death row.
We talked and shared stories. As we closed our time, I read Psalm 46 which ends, “Be still and know that I am God.” We read it as we sometimes do at UCG. “Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am . . . Be still and know . . . Be still . . . Be.” There is always a sense of grace in those moments.
He asks me to thank all of you for your support and prayers.
Larry